Avant Music News

Cover of Jozef Van Wissem

From Cafe OTO:

AKIRA SAKATA / CHRIS CORSANO / DARIN GRAY
TWO DAY RESIDENCY
TUES 1 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 / £12 on the door
WED 2 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 / £12 on the door

Japanese saxophonist Akira Sakata has been active on the free jazz scene for more than fourty years, with only limited international exposure. A powerfully lyrical improvisor, for these two days he will perform in a trio with ‘Chikamorachi’ the duo of hyper-kinetic drummer Chris Corsano and bassist Darin Gray.

EUGENE CHADBOURNE
THURS 3 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £7 advance / £8 on the door

A rare UK solo appearance from the eclectic and unconventional improvisor/guitarist/banjo player Eugene Chadbourne. Chadbourne draws heavily on a range of musical forms – from free jazz, country and blue grass and all out noise. His idosyncratic and uncomprising approach to music has made him a living legend.

BABY DEE : TWO DAY RESIDENCY
FRI 4 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 / £13 on the door
w/ Paul Curreri, Jordan Hunt, Olivia Chaney, Laura Moody, Elysian Quartet, Doug Tielli
SAT 5 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 / £13 on the door
w/ Marc Almond, David Tibet, Bishi, Dead Rat Orchestra, Othon & Tomasini

Tin Angel records and Ghosttown promotions presents a two residency with Baby Dee. A genuinely transporting and eccentric singer whose infectious cackle and extraordinary talent has caught her many musical admirers including Michael Gira, Anthony Hegarty and David Tibet. Dee sings in a deep, haunting voice thar veers between Shirley Temple and Dame Vera Lynn whilst accompanying herself with portentous, dramatic piano, harp and accordion.

AKI ONDA & ALAN LICHT : TWO DAY RESIDENCY W/ SPECIAL GUEST MICHAEL SNOW
SUN 6 NOV ’11 Trio w. Michael Snow • 8PM • £8 / £10 on the door
MON 7 NOV ’11 Cinemage + Solos • 8PM • £8 / £10 on the door

A two day residency for Aki Onda (cassettes) and Alan Licht (guitar). The duo combines the textural dynamism of Onda’s ‘cassette memories’ with Licht’s free blues guitar for a sound capable of both intense pressure and delicate interplay. They’ll play on the first night as a trio with Michael Snow and present solos on the second night alongside the london premiere of Aki Onda’s Cinemage project.

THE LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA
TUES 8 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £6 / £4 concs

Regular meeting of The London Improvisers Orchestra. The LIO draws on London’s rich pool of improvising musicians and is part of a long and varied heritage that stretches back to the free-jazz big bands of Chris McGregor and Mike Westbrook, the intuitive ensembles of John Stevens and purely improvising groups such as the Continuous Music Ensemble.

NEGATIVWOBBLYLAND + ALAN COURTIS + EVOL
WED 9 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 advance / £12 on the door

NegativWobblyland is a new project with members of legendary audio collage group Negativland teaming up with San Francisco electronic musician Wobbly. NegativWobblyland eschews the cut-and-paste formats of their previous collaborations to celebrate the unpredictable magic of The Booper – 100% analog feedback instruments, created entirely from salvaged radio and amplifier parts, which recycle back on themselves to generate a living music from feedback and dirt. They’ll be joined by EVOL’s ‘Computer Music for Hooligans’ inspired by geometry, noise, cosmology and rave culture and renegade Argentian sound aktionist Alan (Anla) Courtis (ex-Reynols).

DATE PALMS + ALEXANDER TUCKER + JASMINA MASCHINA
THURS 10 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £5 advance / £7 door

Slowed-down music of the spheres under a canopy of glowing fog from Date Palms (Root Strata / Mexican Summer)- the duo of Marielle Jakobsons and Gregg Kowalsky. They’re joined by Alexander Tucker’s masterful chamber-pop songs and psychedelic music-concrete collages and Jasmina Maschina’s sonic adventures….MORE>

HIGUMA + JOZEF VAN WISSEM
FRI 11 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £8 advance / £10 on the door

MIE presents the first UK show for Higuma, the psychedelic shoegazing drone duo of Evan Caminiti (Barn Owl) and Lisa McGee. The night will also see a performance from the ever excellent Jozef Van Wissem, the hypnotic Dutch lutenist.

NILS FRAHM + MARTIN HEYNE
SAT 12 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 advance / £12 on the door

Nils Frahm is already a firebrand in the modern classical world, collaborating with contemporaries such as Peter Broderick, Ólafur Arnalds and Anne Müller. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world. This show will follow his new record ‘Felt’ on Erased Tapes.

EVANGELISTA + AZITA
SUN 13 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 adv / £12 on the door

Carla Bozulich is a raw and visionary singer and one of contemporary song’s most distinctive voices. She has been a regular performer at OTO playing here is a variety of configurations. For this show, the full Evangelista band will be playing following the release in September of their incredible new record ‘In Animal Tongue’ on Montreal’s Constellation Records… AZITA will open the evening at the piano, making this an exemplary double bill with two unique voices and unparalleled approaches to song.

ALEXANDER HAWKINS QUINTET + JOHN EDWARDS (SOLO)
MON 14 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £6 advance / £7 on the door

Alexander Hawkins (‘internationally recognized as one of the more striking voices in improvised music to emerge from the UK in recent years’, Point of Departure) brings a new group, with a new book of compositions, to Café Oto for its first performance. Having performed with the likes of Louis Moholo-Moholo, Evan Parker, Joe McPhee, Sonny Simmons, his own distinctive soundworld as a composer is forged through the search to reconcile both his love of free improvisation and profound fascination with composition and structure. The night will open with a set by virtuoso bass player John Edwards.

IKUE MORI / STEVE NOBLE / NED ROTHENBERG
TUES 15 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £8 advance / £10 on the door

Laptop genius Mori returns to Oto, this time for a highly volatile trans-Atlantic, electro-acoustic trio with multi-reedsman Ned Rothenberg and percussion master Steve Noble. Channelling their experiences of no wave noise, free improvisation, ecstatic jazz, avant-garde composition, world musics and experimental electronica, expect a unique evening of improvised explorations into unknown musical territories.

IKUE MORI A/V PERFORMANCE + Q&A
WED 16 NOV ’11 • 7PM • FREE
Electra, 3rd Floor, 18 Shacklewell Lane, London E8 2EZ

OTOProjects is proud to announce a new collaborative series of events realised with Electra. The programme builds on Cafe OTO’s live events and takes the form of talks, discussions, screenings and workshops by artists and musicians performing at Cafe OTO. The series provides a platform to explore the performers’ practices in a more discursive format. For the inaugural event in the series Ikue Mori presents an audio-visual performance, followed by a conversation with Electra founder Lina Dzuverovic, and Q&A session.

+3DB LABEL SHOWCASE : LEMUR FEATURING STEN SANDELL + RUBEN SVERRE GJERTSEN/ANTON LUKOSZEVIEZE + BJØRNAR HABBESTAD + MORTON JAY WHOLSOME
WED 16 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £7 adv / £8 on the door

Norwegian experimental music label +3DB present four acts from their roster of artists. Complex cello sonics, music for rotating bass drum, chamber improv and noise piccolo. All in one night! Simmering with quiet intensity, Norwegian quartet Lemur aim for the world of chamber music with their collective acoustic improvisations. On their first tour with swedish pianist Sten Sandell they are expected to raise the bar of musical subtlety even higher.

BE PREPARED & GIZEH RECORDS PRESENTS THE SILENT BELLS TOUR: SLEEPINGDOG / CONQUERING ANIMAL SOUND / FAREWELL POETRY
THURS 17 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £7 adv / £8 on the door

This concert brings together three acts from Gizeh Records international roster for an evening of melancholic orchestrations, shifting ambience, and poetic pop. Its headed up by Sleepingdog, the collaborative project of Stars of the Lid member Adam Wiltzie and singer Chantal Acda.

REMBETRONIKA : ANDY MOOR / YANNIS KYRIAKIDES & VIV CORRINGHAM / MIKE COOPER
FRI 18 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £7 adv / £8 on the door

This evening brings together two duos who have explored the digital deconstruction of the Greek blues ‘rembetika’ for an evening of Rembetronika – an attempt to unite the acoustic traditional form ‘Rembetika’ with electronics and digital culture whilst maintaining the passionate expressive elements usually associated with the tradition. Mike Cooper (guitar/electronics) and Viv Corringham (vocals) re-invigorate their ‘Avant Roots’ duo alongside Yannis Kyriakides (computer) and Andy Moor (Guitarist with The Ex) who released their own collection of rembetika reimaginings on ‘Rebetika’ in 2009.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE PRESENTS: MAKOTO KAWABATA (SOLO) + TSUYAMA ATSUSHI (SOLO)
SAT 19 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £10 adv / £12 on the door

An evening of offshoots from the roving Acid Mothers Temple ensemble with Makoto Kawabata solo, Tsuyama Atsushi solo and a special secret set.

LUDO MICH WITH HARAPPIAN NIGHT RECORDINGS & PASCAL NICHOLS + AKKE PHALLUS DUO
SUN 20 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £6 advance / £7 on the door

Singing Knives Records and Haimenfeldman present Belgian Fluxus artist, performer and filmmaker Ludo Mich solo and together in a trio with Harappian Night Recordings and Pascal Nichols (Part Wild Horses Mane on Both Sides). There will also be a set from Akke Phallus Duo – a much anticipated collaboration between Ben Morris of Chora and Jon Marshall of The Hunter Gracchus.

THE QUIET CLUB / STRANGE ATTRACTOR / ANTHONY KELLY & DAVID STALLING
MON 21 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £4 advance / £5 door

The Strange Attractor project (featuring Anthony Kelly, Danny McCarthy, Irene Murphy, Mick O’Shea, David Stalling) comes to Cafe Oto, London, to perform live with special guest David Toop and to launch their new full colour book and DVD. Strange Attractor will give an improvised sound performance; an experiment with technology and combined media to explore creative possibilities resulting in an experience that offers multiple points of entry for the audience. The audience can expect a wide range of sound making devices including stones, self-made instruments, electronics, amplified textures, tabletop percussion, theremins, field recordings, radios etc. During tonight’s event, David Toop will say a few words about the project and his involvement with it over the past year.

ZIPANGU FEST & KINEMA NIPPON PRESENTS:
NIPPON RE-READ – EXPERIMENTAL JAPANESE CINEMA
FT. FILMS BY TAKAHIKO IIMURA, TAKASHI MAKINO, YOI SUZUKI, DAISUKE NOSE & MORE…
TUES 22 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £5 adv / on the door

We’re screening a fine spectrum of experimental moving image works from Japan as part of Zipangu Fest. All proceeds will go towards Japan disaster relief via Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin. The films in this two-part programme from Kinema Nippon (curated by Aily Nash and Nine Yamamoto-Masson) range from late 60s to contemporary works. Although varying greatly in their formal and aesthetic concerns, the works all rigorously reexamine the everyday through their respective experiments and innovations in their medium.

DAN HAYWOOD’S NEW HAWKS (BIG BAND SET) + PADRAIG WHELAN
WED 23 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £6 advance / £8 on the door

Dan Haywood’s New Hawks are a collection of songs, and also a band, whose epic scope marries transatlantic cosmic roots music with a poetic and soulful British folk. Making a return appearance at Oto after a stunning set before Frank Fairfield earlier this year, this time Haywood brings the full flock of new hawks for a rare big band set and will also deliver an illuminating pre-show talk exploring the portrayal of birds in music with reference to poetry, fine art, avian survey techniques and the epic ornithological triple concept album “Dan Haywood’s New Hawks”.

MY CAT IS AN ALIEN / PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST : TWO DAY RESIDENCY
THURS 24 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £8 / £10 on the door
FRI 25 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £8 / £10 on the door

God Don’t Like It presents a two day residency from the Italian avant-duo My Cat Is An Alien, where they will perform on the first night as MCIAA and on the 2nd night they will be present the premiere concert for their Painting Petals on Planet Ghost project where the brothers are joined by their long time collaborator Ramona Ponzini.

MYSTERY PLAYS RECORDS PRESENTS: JAN JELINEK WITH AM/PM AND INCH-TIME (DJ)
SAT 26 NOVEMBER ’11 • 8PM • £8 adv / £10 on the door

Mystery Plays Records continues their electronic explorations at Café OTO with German Glitch / Microhouse legend Jan Jelinek. With support from AM/PM and Inch-time (DJ). Bypassing the rules of traditional musicianship, Jan Jelinek prefers to construct collages from tiny sound fragments, from the lost-and-found products of samplers, tape recorders, media players and other recording implements. Pitchfork called him “on of the most inventive producers working in his field today”.

TERRE THAEMLITZ
SUN 27 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £7 adv / £8 on the door

Netaudio London offers a rare opportunity to witness a presentation of the more ‘serious’ side of noted multi-media producer, writer, public speaker, educator, audio remixer, DJ and label owner Terre Thaemlitz. For this rare performance – an amalgam of lecture, AV performance and audience Q&A – Terre will present the three completed sections of her still in-progress four part audio-visual project ‘Soulnessless,’ including part I ‘Rosary Novena for Gender Transitioning,’ part II ‘Traffic with the Devil,’ and a premiere of the recently completed part IV, ‘Two Letters.’.

SABU TOYOZUMI / EVAN PARKER / JOHN RUSSELL / ADAM LINSON
MON 28 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £8 advance / £10 on the door

One of the stars of Japanese alternative music and the only non-American member of AACM, drummer/percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Sabu Toyozumi joins forces with saxophone legend Evan Parker, exploratory guitarist John Russell, and the mesmerising double bass and electronics of Adam Linson for a free-ranging, intercontinental quartet.

RYAN FRANCESCONI + MIKE COOPER
TUES 29 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £7 advance / £8 on the door

Exclusive UK show for guitarist Ryan Francesconi. Perhaps best known as the musical director for Joanna Newsom’s epic ‘Have One On Me’, Ryan Francesconi’s guitar playing transcends the usual Takoma tropes to incorporate a diverse range of influences from African kora music to Bulgarian folk. He’ll be joined on the evening by Mike Cooper who will perform a solo set of his inimitable ‘spirit songs’.

THE WORKSHOP SERIES
WED 30 NOV ’11 • 8PM • £5/£4 concs

Monthly concert of experimental improvised music with participants drawn from Eddie Prévost’s weekly workshop. This month’s musicians are: Matt Hammond (violin), Tom Mudd (electronics), David Papapostolou (cello), Edward Lucas (trombone), Ali Warner (voice), Jerry Wigens (guitar), Craig Macartney (saxophone), Vicky Steiri (cello), and Daichi Yoshikawa (electronics).

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• ISSUE’s 2012 Artists-in-Residence: Aki Onda (issueprojectroom.org)